Repeating mechanism for clocks



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No. 574,114. Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

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O. M. SAFFORD. & W. M. ROSS.

REPBATING MEOHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

No. 574,114. I Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

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Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. SAFFORD AND WILLIAM M. ROSS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

REPEATING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,114, dated December 29, 1896.

Application filed September 11, 1895. Serial No. 562,220. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OHARLEs M. SAFFORD and YVILLIAM M. ROSS, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improvementsin Striking Attachments for Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

These improvements relate to the striking parts of clocks, consisting in the new striking mechanism in combination with the common time-keeping tiain, in which the hours and quarter-hours are struck automatically at regular and proper intervals, but which may also be repeatedly struck at irregular intervals between the regular intervals at pleasure by an electromagnet attachment.

The construction, combination, and opera tion of these improvements will fully appear from the subjoined description, when considered in connection withv the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of a clock mechanism having our improvements embodied therein. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet 3, is a right-hand end elevation showing the new quarter-hour-striking train. Fig. 4, Sheet 3, is a left-hand end elevation showing the hourstriking train. Fig. 5, Sheet 4, is a front elevation showing some of the new parts which we apply to the front portion of the clock. Fig. 6, Sheet 4, is a rear elevation showing some of the new parts which we apply at the back of the clock. Fig. 7, Sheet 4, is a detached view of the gear I) and snail c, which we place on the hour-hand arbor.

The first part of our invention is attached directly to the clock and is as follows:

On the arbor of the hour-hand is placed a cam-wheel a, having four projections, a pinion 1), and a stop-snail 0, having four increase projections. The cam-wheel is employed for actuating the quarter-hour-stri kin g train, the gear I) for actuating the hour-striking train.

D is a star or ratchettooth wheel j on rnaled on a bracket to a post of the supporting-frame. D is a snail permanently attached to the starwheel to be turned by it. The star-wheel has twelve points, and the snail has twelve increase projections, corresponding in number with the number of revolutions of the minutehand of the clock or the twelve divisions of time comprised in one revolution of the hourhand.

D is a spring-lever placed by the side of the star-wheel D. It is attached at its lower end to a stud d on the post D and it is provided on its upper end with a beveled projection which bears against the points of the starwheel, the friction of which serves to prevent the star-wheel being turned by jarring or handling of the clock.

E is a gear-wheel on the arbor outside of the bracket (plainly seen in Fig. 8) and meshes with pinion D on the hub of the gearwheel F. On said wheel F are provided pins f, which, as said wheel rotates, strike the teeth of the ratchet-wheel and turn it the space of one tooth each time the hour-hand points off the hour, and thereby also turning the snail D for presenting its projections in succession for the purpose hereinafter described.

The next or second part of our invention, which relates to the hour-strikin g mechanism, is described as follows:

At the left-hand side of the clock, looking at Fig. 1, is attached the spring-actuated gears common in such clocks.

G is a frame having a rod g on its top end and a rod g on its lower end, by which it is supported in lugs g on the supporting-post D and in which said frame has vertical movements. On the outer left side edge of said frame G are made twelve ratchet-teeth and on the inner edge are also made twelve teeth. These teeth correspond in number with the number of increase projections on the snail D G is an arm attached to the frame G, having a downwardly-bent branch, which reaches down to rest on the projections of snail D A pinion h, on the third wheel of the striking-train, has an extension h of one of its teeth, which, as said pinion revolves, catches in a tooth of the inner rack and carries said rack upward, tooth by tooth, as it revolves. When the lowest tooth is reached, a hook on a lock-lever falls under it and holds the frame up until it is again released by the operations of the clock. The lock-lever, which holds the rack-frame up, is attached to and suspended from rock-shaft H journaled between the front and .rear posts of the hourstriking train. ll (seen in Fig. 2) is also a lever suspended from said rock-shaft ll. Its purpose is to move the lock-lever for releasing the rack-frame G, which then falls, the number of teeth corresponding to the pre jcction on snail D 7t is a weight suspended from an arm on the said rockshaft ll", which serves to hold the lock-lever hook in contact; with the frame G and prevent its being jarred oil. The method and means for moving said lever ll will appear in the description of the mechanism on the back of the clock.

The next and third part of our invention, which relates to the quarter-hour-striking mechanism, is described as follows:

At the right-hand side of the clock, looking at Fig. 1, is attached the spring-actuated gears common to such clocks.

c is a rack-plate, having rods on its upper and lower ends which support it in lugs on the supporting-posts ot' the train mechanism, in which said plate has vertical movements, in like manner to ratchet-frame G. In each side of plate 6 are made four ratchet-teeth, the same .in number as the increase projections on the snail c on the arbor.

C is a curved arm, attached to the rackplate 0, which stands upright and has a downwardly-extending branch (1, which rests on the projections of the snail c, said projections representing the four quarters of the hour, and they govern the drop of the plate to regulate its movements to the quarter to be struck.

J is alever suspended from a rock-shaft J-, journaled between the supportingposts of the quarterdtonr-striking train. On the lower end of said leverJ is a hook which on gages with the rack-teeth on the plate and serves to hold said plate up in like manner to lever II of the hour-striking mechanism.

is a weight 011 an arm j designed for holding the hook on lever .l in contact with the rack-plate c.

J is also a lever suspended lrom rockshaft J as seen in Fig. 2, whose purpose is to move the lever .l for releasing the rack-plate e, which then falls, the number of teeth corresponding to the projection on the snail c. The method and means for moving said lever J which is similar to that for lever ll in thehour-strikin g mechanism, will also appear in the description of the mechanism. on the back of the clock.

A pinion c 011 the shaft of the third. wheel of the quartenstriking train has an extension (2 of one of its teeth, which, as said pinion revolves, catches in a teeth of the rack and lifts said plate teeth by teeth as it revolves. When the lowest tooth is reached, the hook on lever J falls under it and retains the plate in place until it is again released by the op crations of the clock.

The automatic releasing oi these striking trains isperlorlned by thecam 0, (seen in Fig. 5) for the regular striking of the hours and quarters of the hour by the means described quarter-hour-striking train. i ism is plainly seen in Figs. 5 and (1. A stop I pin t on the upper wheel oi thehour-striking as follows: a is a lever suspended from a rock-shaft Q, journaled between brackets r 1 attached to the posts of the (piarttn-striking I train. against the cam a and is moved by it as it The lower end of said lever a" bears rotates. To the rock-shat t Q also attached a lever carrying a weight (2' said weight having a tail-rod g", which has vertical movements in a hole ina cross-bar Q. This lS1)l(|- vided for preventing the weight swingingby jarringor handling of the clock, and the purpose of the weight is to hold the moving end of the lever a against the cam 11. To the rock-shaft Q is also attached an angle-lever H. To the depending arm of said lever t is pivotally attached. a push-rod H, which extends across at the back of the clock and striking-trains. It has abroadened end with a notch s, which rests on the hook on the end of the lever ll of the lnnir-striking train. T is also a short push-rod pivotally attached to the end of lever B below said lever S. Red T also has a broadened end which rests on the hook on the end oi. lever J" ol' the This mechantrain seen in Fig. 3 serves to arrest the run ning of said train by contacting with. a projection. on the lever it when the hook on said. lever falls under the last teeth of rack-lrann: G. A like stoppin t on the upper wheel of the quarter-honr-striking train operates in like manner on lever J. Now when the cam a pushes the lover of it moves lever lt, and this pushes rods 6 and T. These rods more lock-levers ll and .l', releasing their hold on the rack-frame G and the rack plate 0, which new fall to the limit of the projectionson the snails Dandc,respectively. ''l.hisalsomoves levers 1i" and J, freeing them from the stoppins 6 and ton the wheels of both striking trains, thus giving freedom for each. striking train to run, but the hour-train will. not run until the quarter has ceased, as a rod 3 at tached to the lever J. (seen in Figs. 2, 5, and 6,) holds the i'lypinion of said lmur-train until withdrawn by falling back of said lever J. Then the hour-train ru es and stri kcs the hon 1'. Then the lever 11 falls back and both trains are again locked and in the normal position ready for a repetition of this operation.

For arepetition of said operation at; irregular intervals a means is provided for withdrawing the loelclevers from the outside of the cloclccase, as follows: U is a short pullrod having a hook it, which engages with the hook on the end of lever ll". is a long pullrod having a hook t, which engages withv the hook on the end of lever J". These two pullrods are fixed to a bar or head W, and pull. simultaneously. The bar W constitutes an armature for an electrolnagnot X, by means of which. the said pulla'ods U and Y are actuated, the wires connecting said. magnet reaching to other or distant rooms. New whenever this means is enn iloyet'l the striking-trail us a re ISO freed to 'run entirely independent of the automatic lever a", and which is not deprived of its functions at its proper intervals.

Accompanying these striking-trains is a striking mechanism consisting of bells and hammers operated in conjunction with said trains, as follows: On the back posts of the striking-trains are placed vertical shafts K L M N, their lower ends stepped in brackets It Z m a, fixed on said posts. The upper ends of said shafts extend up through the top plate of the clock-frame, and to the top ends of each shaft are attached hammers for striking, respectively, bells or gongs B B B B In the gearing of the quarter-hour-striking train is provided a spur-wheel o for actuating said hammer-shafts. To the shaft K is attached an arm 70, (seen in Figs. 2 and 3,) which is bent so as to reach around the side of the post within reach of the spur-wheel and be actuated thereby. To the shaft L is attached an arm l, which is also bent to be actuated by the said spur-wheel 0. The shaft M is supported on the back of the post of the hourstriking train, but is actuated by the quarterhour train. I is a horizontal shaft journaled in the brackets Z and m. t is an arm on the shaft 1, which is acted upon by the spurwheel 0 in the same manner as the arms 7t" l. On the shaft M is attached a bifurcated arm m and on the shaft I is attached an upright arm 1 which passes through the bifurcated arm m so that the movements of shaft M are derived from said shaft I from the aforesaid spur-wheel 0. These arms 7t, l, andt are so disposed that the shafts K L M are actuated in continuous order, so as to strike the bells in succession, as 1, 2, 3, or ding, dong, bell. These bells are thus struck once for the quarter, twice for half, and thrice for three-quarters. The hour is struck by the hour-striking train by means of a spur-wheel p in the gearing of said striking-train. N is a shaft by the side of shaft M. n is an arm on shaft N, (seen in Fig. 2,) and like arms is m Z are bent to reach around to be actuated by said spur-wheel p; but as before explained this does not take place until afterthe quarters have been struck. Rods of spring metal R Z m n are attached to the top plate of the clock-frame, which hang down by the sides of the respective shafts K L M N with their lower ends bearing against the arms It Z on a. They are provided to give force to the hammers for striking the bells.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a clock mechanism, the combination with the pull-rods U and V, joined to the bar W, and the locking-levers H J of the electromagnet X, adapted to pull said rods U and V, for unlocking and releasing the strikingtrains from a distance and at irregular intervals, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the arbor of the hour-hand, of the cam a, gear Z) and snail c, the gear-wheel E, pinion E gear-wheel F, pins f on said Wheel F, star-Wheel D and snail D adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the arbor of the hour-hand and the snail thereon, lever a 1ever 1 carrying the Weight Q angle-lever B, said levers supported by rock-shaft Q, pushrods S and T, attached to lever B, adapted for unlocking the striking-trains, substantially as described.

4. The combination of thelock-levers H and J, having hooks engaging with the teeth of the rack-frame and the rack-plate respectively, and supported by the rock-shafts H and J respectively, levers H and J also supported by said rock-shafts respectively, the push-rods S and T, pivotally attached to the angle-lever R, pull-rods U and V, having hooks engaging with the hooks on the levers H and J and attached to the armature-bar V, and adapted to pull the levers H and J by the application of an electric current, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES M. SAFFORD. \VM. M. ROSS. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. CAwoon, EDITH CAWoon. 

